PSG, through its majority shareholder QSI, confirmed in recent hours that it is working on a bid to acquire a franchise in the future NBA Europe. But QSI would not be the only entity wanting to obtain an NBA Europe franchise in Paris.

QSI's interest in the NBA Europe project is not new, and a new step was taken recently, as the NBA has set March 31 as the deadline for submitting applications. As expected, PSG's majority shareholder will submit a bid to acquire a basketball franchise in Paris that would play in NBA Europe, which is expected to launch in 2027.

QSI and its partners are thus "actively engaged in the bidding process," a spokesperson for the Qatari fund confirmed to AFP in recent hours, before specifying: "It's not the PSG football club that is bidding for a basketball team, it's QSI as an investor seeking to create a basketball franchise in the city of Paris."

But for QSI, this acquisition of a basketball franchise in Paris could obviously serve to strengthen PSG's image around the world, as the club has collaborated with Jordan since 2018 and welcomed in 2023 the American investment fund Arctos Partners, which has just been acquired by KKR, one of the largest investment funds in the world.

American basketball legend Kevin Durant also became a minority shareholder in QSI last year through his investment vehicle, Boardroom, and acknowledged last month that he was very interested in the project to create an NBA Europe. Last January, NBA boss Adam Silver confirmed discussions with PSG: "They play at the highest level of competition (in soccer), and they have the know-how to operate a basketball club at the highest level, if that interests them. Yes, they're a club we're talking to."

NBA Europe is expected to bring together 16 franchises and be structured around 12 permanent teams plus four others that would earn their place through sporting merit, via the FIBA Champions League or an end-of-season tournament. Among the 12 European cities where the NBA wants to establish a permanent franchise, we find Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Manchester, London, Athens, Istanbul, Munich, and Berlin.

While QSI is clearly the heavy favorite to acquire a franchise in Paris, the American media outlet Sports Business Journal does not rule out the possibility of two franchises in Paris, or just one not owned by QSI. "Sources told us this Thursday afternoon that PSG is not the only entity coveting an NBA Europe franchise in the city and that it could be outbid, supplanted, or even joined by a second team in Paris," the online media outlet writes.

The NBA hopes to receive between $500 million and $1 billion per franchise, and, according to RMC, negotiations could last months, as the gap between what NBA executives hope for and what investors are willing to put in is currently very wide. Many other questions also surround this NBA Europe project.

If it acquires an NBA Europe franchise in Paris, would QSI, for example, start from scratch or swallow an already existing club to recover its sporting rights? According to L'Equipe, although there have been discussions "at a very high level with multiple clubs," including Paris Basketball and Levallois (N1), nothing is concrete at the moment, and QSI has not yet decided on its strategy. The only certainty is that the potential basketball team owned by QSI will not be able to play only in NBA Europe and must also play in its domestic championship.

Nanterre 92, currently third in Betclic Elite, is thus often cited as an interesting option for QSI, especially since Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is a PSG fan and has just invested in Nanterre, his favorite club. On March 2, L'Equipe asked him whether he would be interested in this NBA Europe project as a shareholder in Nanterre. Here is what Wemby replied: "I like that there's a big room for improvement. But at the end of the day, the main reason remains that it's my favorite club. I have huge long-term projects and a lot of ambitions. But that's built over the years. I prefer to start by having an influence on a club, on a city. Without talking concretely about NBA Europe or the Euroleague, for me, the projects are at Nanterre. I don't know what the European basketball sphere will look like, even in five years. Yes, I want Nanterre to be at the highest level. But that goes through lots of small steps to build something great in the long term."

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